Alan Menken/Lynn Ahrens' A Christmas Carol was launched in 1994, revived in `95, `96 and `97, and will return once more at holiday time 1998 to The Theatre at Madison Square Garden (formerly known as "The Paramount") in New York City. The revival runs Nov. 27-Dec. 27, according to MSG spokesperson Cathy Del Priore (Aug. 20).

No news yet on casting, though Del Priore says, "A Scrooge is being negotiated right now." Rehearsals are expected to begin in mid September.

Last year, the role of Ebenezer Scrooge was played, in rotation, by two different theatre veterans: Hal Linden and Roddy McDowall. Previous Scrooges included Walter Charles and Tony Randall.

Carol's authors Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens have been busy recently. Menken is helping adapt Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame to the stage, while Ahrens and her co-writer Stephen Flaherty (Tony-winners for Ragtime) are working on Livent's Seussical.

Madison Square Garden Productions is producing Christmas Carol. They're also expecting The Wizard of Oz to return (it's currently on tour with NY stars Eartha Kitt and Mickey Rooney) and are partnering with the Dodgers on Footloose, set to start previews Oct. 2 at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre. -- By David Lefkowitz
and Robert Viagas